This invention relates to a composition and procedure for manipulating the behaviour of the webbing clothes moth, Tineola bisselliella (Hummel) (Lepidoptera: Tineidae). In particular, this invention relates to the use of specific semiochemical and sonic signals for manipulating the behaviour of the webbing clothes moths.
Webbing clothes moths, Tineola bisselliella (Hum.) (Lepidoptera: Tineidae), invade and cause damage in households, textile and fur warehouses, and museums throughout the world (1-3). In temperate regions, they are economically important, causing hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in North America each year (4).
T. bisselliella inhabits well-sheltered bird nests, dry corpses and animal lairs that are not exposed to direct light (5-7). Adults have vestigial mouthparts and do not cause damage. Larvae, however, feed year round on keratin contained in woollen goods, hair, feathers, and other animal-based products like clothing, rugs, and furniture (5). Exploratory feeding also damages synthetic textiles (8).
Pesticides are used to treat or prevent larval infestations of T. bisselliella. Physical control methods include vacuum (3), repeated cooling and heating (9), and sanitation of potential infestation sites (2, 4). Use of naturally occurring chemicals for control of T. bisselliella is increasingly preferred by the public (4). These chemicals include feeding inhibitors, repellents, and plant-based insecticides (10, 11). There is no suitable method yet for detection of incipient infestations.
Semiochemicals (message-bearing chemicals) that attract T. bisselliella to larval habitat and intra-specific sexual communication signals have hardly been investigated. Larva and adult T. bisselliella are attracted to fishmeal, fish oil, and dried meat (12). Females select oviposition sites based on their physical stimuli (13), or volatiles (14). E2, Z13-Octadecadienal and E2-octadecenal are reported sex pheromone components of T. bisselliella (15), but these compounds are only moderately attractive (16, 17) and unreliable for practical control situations (T. Konicek, person. communication).
There are many patents listed in the patent database under the keyword T. bisselliella (scientific species name for webbing clothes moth) or misspellings thereof. Most of these patents are concerned with pesticides, reporting that insects including clothes moths are killed by active ingredient(s). These active ingredients are very different from the attractive semiochemicals claimed in the subject application. Other patents are concerned with pest control devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,315 xe2x80x9cUltrasonic Pest Control Devicexe2x80x9d (20), or U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,351, xe2x80x9cPest Control Apparatusxe2x80x9d (19), reporting the use of ultrasonic waves for control of pests, including clothes moths. The frequency of sonic waveforms as claimed for attraction and control of T. bisselliella in the subject application is in the audible low frequency range. Additional patents are concerned with chemicals that repel keratin-feeding pests including clothes moths. Diphenylurea and one synthetic pyrethroid (U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,539) (20), isoborneol (U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,131) (21), pyridyloxytrifluoromethanesulfonanilides (U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,090) (22), 5-pyridyloxy- or thiothenylcarbamoyl)barbituric acid (U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,912) (23), 5-phenylcarbamoylbarbituric acid (U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,444) (24), Nxe2x80x2-alkyl-Nxe2x80x2-(3,5-dimethylbenzoyl)-N-(substituted benzoyl)-hydrazine (U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,967) (25), phenoxytrifluoromethanesulfoanilides (U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,673) (26), and incense cedar associated with a multi-garment hanger device (U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,334) (27) are all claimed to protect keratinous material from attack by insects that feed on keratin. All these repellents are very different from the attractive semiochemicals claimed in this application.
We reveal stimuli which singly or in combination attract male and female T. bisselliella. These stimuli include: 1. semiochemicals from larval habitat (mainly nonanal and geranylacetone) that attract males and females; 2. female-produced sex pheromone components [(E, Z)-2,13:octadecadienol and (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienal] that attract males; 3. male-produced sex pheromone components (hexadecanoic acid methyl ester and Z9-hexadecenoic acid methyl ester) that attract males and females; and 4. male-produced sonic signals (primary frequencies: 50+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 70/+xe2x88x9210 Hz; 110+/xe2x88x9220 Hz; 140+/xe2x88x9220 Hz and their harmonics) that attract males and females. We further reveal that combinations of these signals result in a bait optimally attractive to male and female T. bisselliella. 
The essence of the invention is the preparation and implementation of these stimuli for manipulating the behaviour of T. bisselliella. Stimuli can be used in all possible combinations and ratios. Stimuli compositions can be contained in, and emitted from, slow release devices or sonic microchips. Devices can be held in traps to capture attracted male and female T. bisselliella. The invention can be used as a diagnostic tool to help decide whether and when control of insects that feed on fur, fabric and other keratin containing products is warranted and as a means for protection of fur, fabric and other keratin containing products.
The invention is directed to a composition of chemicals for manipulating the behaviour of clothes moths, said composition comprising two or more chemicals in all possible combinations and ratios selected from the group consisting of: 1) (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienal; 2) (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienol; 3) hexadecanoic acid methyl ester; 4) (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid methyl ester; 5) nonanal; 6) geranylacetone; 7) octanal; 8) decanal; 9) nonenal; 10) octenal; 11) decenal.
The invention is also directed to a sonic signal for manipulating the behaviour of clothes moths, said signal comprising one or more frequencies in all possible combinations and ratios selected from the group consisting of: 1) 50+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 2) 110+/xe2x88x9220 Hz; 3) 70+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 4) 140+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 5) 165+/xe2x88x9230; 6) 220+/xe2x88x9240; 7); 280+/xe2x88x9240 Hz.
The invention is also directed to a combination of chemical and sonic signals for manipulating the behaviour of clothes moths, said combination comprising a composition of two or more chemicals in all combinations and ratios selected from the group consisting of: 1) (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienal; 2) (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienol; 3) hexadecanoic acid methyl ester; 4) (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid methyl ester; 5) nonanal; 6) geranylacetone; 7) octanal; 8) decanal; 9) nonenal; 10) octenal; 11) decenal, and a sonic signal of one or more frequencies in all combinations and ratios selected from the group consisting of: 1) 50+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 2) 110+/xe2x88x9220 Hz; 3) 70+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 4) 140+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 5) 165+/xe2x88x9230; 6) 220+/xe2x88x9240; 7); 280+/xe2x88x9240 Hz.
The composition can be contained in, or released from, slow release devices. The composition can be contained in, and released from, a trap that captures attracted T. bisselliella. 
The signal can be generated by a sonic apparatus contained in or associated with a trap that captures attracted T. bisselliella. The sonic apparatus can be an electronically activated sonic microchip.
The invention is also directed to an apparatus for attracting clothes moths, said apparatus containing a composition comprising two or more chemicals in all possible combinations and ratios selected from the group consisting of: 1) (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienal; 2) (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienol; 3) hexadecanoic acid methyl ester; 4) (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid methyl ester; 5) nonanal; 6) geranylacetone; 7) octanal; 8) decanal; 9) nonenal; 10) octenal; 11) decenal.
The apparatus of the invention can emit a sonic signal for manipulating the behaviour of clothes moths, comprising one or more frequencies in all possible combinations and ratios selected from the group consisting of: 1) 50+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 2) 110+/xe2x88x9220 Hz; 3) 70+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 4) 140+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 5) 165+/xe2x88x9230; 6) 220+/xe2x88x9240; 7); 280+/xe2x88x9240 Hz.
The apparatus for attracting clothes moths can contain a combination of chemical and sonic signals for manipulating the behaviour of clothes moths, said combination comprising a composition of two or more chemicals in all combinations and ratios selected from the group consisting of: 1) (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienal; 2) (E,Z)-2,13:octadecadienol; 3) hexadecanoic acid methyl ester; 4) (Z)-9-hexadecenoic acid methyl ester; 5) nonanal; 6) geranylacetone; 7) octanal; 8) decanal; 9) nonenal; 10) octenal; 11) decenal, and a sonic signal of one or more frequencies in all combinations and ratios selected from the group consisting of: 1) 50+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 2) 110+/xe2x88x9220 Hz; 3) 70+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 4) 140+/xe2x88x9210 Hz; 5) 165+/xe2x88x9230; 6) 220+/xe2x88x9240; 7); 280+/xe2x88x9240 Hz. The apparatus can contain an insect capturing adhesive.
The invention is also directed to a bait and trap for deployment in an area containing fur, fabric or other keratin containing products comprising a fur, fabric or other keratin feeding insect bait, said bait incorporating a composition of chemicals, or sonic signals, or a combination of a composition of chemicals and sonic signals according to the invention, and a trap which can have openings which can enable the insects to enter the trap and a barrier or retainer which can prevent the insects from leaving the trap.
The invention also pertains to a method of manipulating the behaviour of insects that feed on fur, fabric and other keratin containing products which comprises exposing the insects to one or more chemicals or sonic signals according to the invention.
The invention also pertains to a method of diagnosing whether protection of fur, fabric or other keratin containing products is warranted, comprising exposing the fur, fabric or other keratin containing product to a composition of one or more semiochemicals or sonic signals according to the invention and determining whether any fur, fabric or keratin containing products consuming insects are attracted by the composition of semiochemicals or the sonic signals.
The invention includes a method of protecting fur, fabric or other keratin containing product from attack by fur, fabric or other keratin containing product consuming insects by deploying proximate to the fur, fabric or other keratin containing product a composition of semiochemicals or sonic signals according to the invention.